


Yesterday Once More

by rainybamboo



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Father-Daughter Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, Kid Fic, Kid Skye | Daisy Johnson, Mother-Daughter Relationship, No Andrew, Post-Bahrain (Agents of SHIELD), Time Travel, What Happened in Bahrain
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-25
Updated: 2016-04-29
Packaged: 2018-06-04 12:43:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6658153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainybamboo/pseuds/rainybamboo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Accidentally, Agent May and Coulson travelled back to the past and met the six-year-old Skye. They all had a second chance for the emotional belonging they never had. Skye's family moments with our beloved agents and some Philinda Romance. Skye's identity as Daisy hasn't been revealed during the time of this story.</p><p>Disclaimer: This fic is originally posted on FF.net. I just can't resist posting on AO3. Editions towards plot and language will be made as I go, mostly because we have learnt more about everything from the TV shows since I started this story in 2014. Especially with Bahrain revealed, the way May faced a kid Skype was influenced by the tragic incident.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own Agent of SHIELD and all these lovely characters.

"People are staring." A extremely sullen-looking Agent Melinda May muttered as they forced their way through the crowd.

"To be fair, you're in a really tight suit." Agent Philip Coulson chuckled, apparently sharing none of his partner's annoyance.

"NOT helping." May hissed through her teeth while raising one hand to loosen her collar. Tight suit or not, wearing latex under the golden California sun was never enjoyable.

He could tell there was certain lightness in her voice. She had got less and less tense and guarded since he dragged her back to the field (or as it turned out, she volunteered). But then S.H.I.E.L.D fell apart and they had their big argument over fidelity. He had buried his head too deep in his own mess to properly worry about May and the possibility that she might retreat into her old shell again. She hadn't. She marched on like the warrior she always had been. And sometimes, he caught the gentle smiles she gave around their team when the spirit was down; sometimes, the prank traps she set up in the kitchen and the ugly cat mug she carried around made him smile. It was the proof that the old, carefree Melinda May was still somewhere in her.

Coulson really missed the days when he wasn't alone in a world war.

Puzzlingly, May frowned at Coulson's secretive smile, "Where are we anyway?"

"LA."

"Hilarious. You mean since we just came cross this large signpost..." May remarked dryly, "You know what I mean. What damn universe?"

"Judging by people's outfit? I'd say no more that late 90s."

Oh she hated this calm, almost amused tone of his, especially in a nerve-racking situation like this, but that was also what she loved about him. "And we are in this...this..."

"...temporal disorder..." 

_He'd better not just invented this term_ , May thought. "...this temporal disorder thing because?"

"We were caught in a magnetic storm." Coulson ended the sentence with a cough.

"A magnetic storm?" May raised a suspicious eyebrow, which devolved into an accusing growl, "You have no idea why either, aren't you?"

"Not a single clue." Coulson said in such a peaceful manner, which he'd maintained since they landed in this crazy world, but winked his eye just for good measure.

May rolled her eyes. There couldn't have been a person facing a god-damn time traveling as calm as they were. After all, they had seen it all. "So where are we heading for?"

"Contacting S.H.I.E.L.D.. I have this feeling that the Hub knows way more than we give it credit for, even with a 20-year gap." There was no S.H.I.E.L.D for them now. They themselves were S.H.I.E.L.D. And then it occurred to him that a younger version of them were somewhere in this S.H.I.E.L.D, living a life that they would never have the privilege to relish again.

Next to him, May let out a barely audible sigh, and he knew the same thought struck her too. However, being Agent May, she just shrugged, "At least convince them to lend us a vehicle."

And that's how they ended up on the street again, with slightly fancier transportation, a 1990 Buick LeSabre, and a not-so-fancy mission to complete. The Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. had accepted their "situation" without showing even a hint of shock. And they had been informed that, yes, they were taken back to the past because of a "time leakage", which was a random but roughly periodical occurrence, and yes they did have a secret setup dealing with those "lost lambs" like them. "Still above your pay grade, Agent May. " The Directer had said pointedly when May didn't even try to hide her glare at the revelation, "You'll be here for a while. Better to make yourself productive."

They got temporary badge, gear-up, a safe house and a guardian mission to kill time with. "Stay put and minimum your exposure. Don't want to bump into the younger you. And we wouldn't confine them even if we could. " the Director had added the last part with evident bitterness, and Coulson couldn't help but wonder what kind of impression he and May had made on their superiors back in their late twenties.

 

=x=

 

"No." said May firmly after a critical glance at the black sedan. She then swiftly buckled up in the front passenger seat.

Coulson probably would come up with some smart retort if he wasn't focusing on a much painful task. Finding an uptown location based on coordinates and a paper map was a nightmare he had thought he would never experienced again.

Completely ignoring Coulson's struggle, May opened the mission file to see what precious cargo they were assigned to guard.

"Mary Sue Poots, female, age six. " May read out loud, then swore under her breath, "You MUST be kidding."

His heart skipped a beat. May and a little girl. It was hard not to associate it with that dark day in Bahrain. He turned around to check on May's expression, but all he got seemed to be a simple insulted look coming from being undermined to a babysitter. 

Maybe everything would be simple and fine.

 

=x=

 

By the time they pulled up outside Merryvale Orphanage, May had long finished reading. The rest of drive was in silence. The file wasn't very informative, mainly records of a child being kicked around between foster homes since infancy. There were also a few records of her being put in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s temporary custody due to "security concern". Nothing indicated how she ended up in the system. 

They showed their badge and transfer document to the perky young man at the front desk.

"Ah, I see you come for Mary Sue. Earlier this year uh? Hope nobody fills in complaints this time. " Coulson thought the social worker had to be unbelievably ignorant to keep rambling like this under May's stern stares. "She will be ready in half an hour. Our staff will bring her out. Please wait here."

Exactly thirty-four minutes later, a skinny brunette girl went in, dragging a worn half-empty luggage bag along with her. She was in an old baggy T-shirt, a pair of jeans that was two size too large rolled up at the bottom, and her should-length hair was untamed, too. She looked around in a daring manner rare for her age and fixed her big brown eyes at the strangers questioningly.

"Hello, Mary." Coulson stepped up to greet the little girl, and could hardly keep a straight face when the kid snorted. "My name is Agent Coulson and this is Agent May. You will be staying with us for a while."

The girl shrugged.

The girl's manner (or indeed the lack of it) didn't offend Coulson at all. He turned back to exchange a look with May, and found her face expressionless, but her eyes were gentle. Ha, the social work might think they had got a handful but in fact a vicious little soul was probably some relief for May. He carried on, "We are about to leave now. You need some time to say goodbye to your friends?"

The girl merely shrugged again.

"Ok then." Coulson held out a hand for the girl to take, who mutely declined the offer, using both of her hands to lift her bag instead and followed the agents out.

 

=x=

 

The third time May checked up on the girl in the side mirror, they were on the way to the safe house. 

May had told herself to compartmentalise. This was just another mission and the girl was just another object. Picturing a young girl as a young girl brought back too much dark memory, the memory she had shared with nobody. 

Maybe it was a relief that this Mary girl didn't seem to be a ordinary young girl. She looked small in frame but more mature than average, in a distant and vigilant manner. That part of Mary was something May was familiar with, which made being around her slightly easier.

The kid was wearing a weird, intense look on her face. Her eyes wandered and met May's. For a six-year-old, she did a pretty impressive job at pretending to be innocent, but a twist in her right eye confirmed May's suspicion.

"No funny business in the car, kid. " warned May.

The girl froze at May's quiet but unchallengeable voice and withdrew her hands immediately. But then she was audacious enough to look up and give the front row an unhappy glare, probably thinking the adults wouldn't notice.

That little angry face in the mirror brought a surge of warmth to May's heart, but she kept her voice cool, "Go sit in the middle and fasten your seatbelt. Keep your hands where I can see it."

The girl whimpered but obeyed.

The silence went on for another five minutes before the girl finally spoke up. "Are you Catwoman?" She asked in a tiny tentative voice.

Coulson made a sound like he might be choking on his saliva.

  
"No, I am not." May answered matter-of-factly.

  
"Oh." The girl looked down at her lap and showed extra interest in playing with her fingers.

Against her best judgement, May found herself smiling inwardly.


	2. Chapter 2

When it came down to the prospect of settling themselves in a small safe house, Coulson felt grateful that May decided to step up and take control. When she suggested they should stop by the mall, Coulson realised that it hadn’t even come through his mind that they actually needed more supplies. It made him think, could he have run their secret base all by himself? Probably not.

“No, we are not setting a kid loose in the mall. Pick me up here in an hour.” May ordered, stepping out of the car and shut the door behind her.

Coulson turned around to the kid, “How about we grab something to eat?”

No answer, as he had suspected. “Off we go then.” said Coulson cheerfully to the air.

 

They were waiting outside a McDonald’s drive-through. 

“So what are you having?” Coulson looked at Mary through the reflection in the mirror.

The girl looked nervous, and Coulson guessed she might not have eaten here very often and didn’t know what to choose from.

“Burgers? You like burgers? They have beef, chicken, fish fillet…” he suggested helpfully, “What else…Uh, fries! And chicken wings.”

The girl looked more nervous, if that was even possible. So maybe too much choices were also a problem. 

“I think I will have a cheese burger and some fries.” he paused and looked at Mary purposely, indicating that he was waiting for an answer from the girl.

“Anything.” the girl muttered. Her shrug was far less nonchalant than the previous ones, so Coulson guessed she must be genuinely hungry. 

He didn’t like the idea of forcing the choice on the kid. “If you can’t decide, what do you say we also have chicken burger and fish burger so you can have a try?”

“That's too much.” exclaimed the girl, eyes widened. 

“Don’t worry. You can pick the one you like and the rest goes to Agent May.” Coulson chuckled.

The girl hesitated for a moment. “Isn’t that mean?”

So there was the kind little person hidden behind. Gotcha.  Coulson smiled, “You are right. We can cut them into smaller pieces and share among us then.”

It would be a nice first meal between them. Too bad burgers were really his thing and never seemed to please May’s palate at all.

 

=x=

 

May usually felt housework provided a state of solitude, but she found it hard to concentrate knowing she was the guardian of a little girl. What’s more, Coulson was tailing her in the most unhelpful manner. 

“Would you please have an eye on that kid?” she asked, scrubbing down a rather hideous spot on the kitchen counter.

Coulson laughed, “She’s fine. She is six, and literally in the next room.”  

“She is a child. She doesn’t know to cooperate. She can be doing anything.” He didn’t know. He didn’t see what she had seen a girl was capable of. 

“I will talk to her then. Set the basic rules. She looked like a smart kid.” He said considerately and finally left her alone.

 _Would a talk work? It certainly hadn’t been the case._ May thought to herself bitterly, but she wasn’t going to point that out to Coulson. She simply nodded, “Please do.”

She wondered whether the dark flashbacks would come back to haunt her again. She had succeeded in keeping them away for a while now, but that was when she believed it was almost impossible for her get close to a child again. Now there was one dropped into her laps and the reminder was suddenly too strong.

 _The little brunette had soft curls bouncing around her face. It was her instinct to protect the girl, to laugh with her. The girl_ _looked at her, like a bullet ready to pierce a hole in her heart. The girl was going to hurt her, but she couldn't stop feeling it was her own fault. "Please stop." She muttered. Nobody was listening to her. Never would they. She was alone._

May found herself squeezing the cloth too tight, causing a water puddle at her feet.  _Breathe. You couldn’t get lost in your own mind._  She told herself firmly.

 

=x=

 

Mary was sitting neatly at one end of the sofa when Coulson entered the living room, with hands in her laps and bag next to her feet.

“How do you find the house?”

“It’s fine.” Face blank.

“Would you like a glass of water?” 

Shrug. 

He offered her the extra one he had brought anyway. 

Coulson wasn’t surprised it had become part of the kid’s upbringing to be quiet and cautious. Do not speak when not spoken to. Take up as little space as possible, yada yada… Mary’s posture was both defensive and daring. And Coulson realised this was a test, where the kid carefully gauging the strange adults and the situation herself was in. He wondered what score he was at.

“Come, let me show you your room.” he beckoned to the girl, who stood up and followed dutifully.

It was a rather bare room, just like all the other rooms in this safe house, equipped with a bed, a closet, a table and a chair. All pieces of furniture were rather large for a six year old, but that was the best they could do.

He opened the closet, flipped the mattress and checked below the bed, assuring her that everything was intact and functional, with Mary standing quietly behind him.

There was a knock at the door of the room. Coulson turned around, just in time to see Mary took a step away from the door and May, who was standing next to it.

“Need to move the sofa. Give me a hand?” she requested softly.

He nodded, watching her disappear without another sound. He turned to the girl, “Sorry this has to cut short. Can you stay here until I get back?”

The girl nodded back without looking at him.

 

A good fifteen minutes later, Coulson excused himself to check on the kid. 

He couldn't decide which was worth more of his concern -- the fact that the girl was currently lying on the floor at the centre of the room, or that she was using her bag and clothes as cushion, delicately balancing herself on the top of it. 

"What are you doing, Mary? " 

The kid sat up, immediately on alert, “I didn’t touch anything.”

That caught him by surprise, “That’s not what I meant” he tried to brush it off with a smile, “Why are you not unpacking? ”

The girl bit her lower lip, “You didn’t say I should.”

A waive of sadness flooded Coulson’s heart.  “You don’t need permission for things like that.” he said gently.

The kid narrowed her eyes. “You can't trick me into trouble. " she said firmly.

There must be a reason for her to say that, mostly some unpleasant experience, but he didn't push. "Wouldn't dream of it." he said solemnly instead, hoping it would convince the kid. 

The kid appeared to hesitate over trusting him on this one. 

“I am sure you are very clever and won’t do things that will hurt yourself. As long as that is the case, it will be very hard for you to get into any trouble with us. ” He paused, relieved to see the kid paying him enough attention. “There are only two very important rules in this house. First, you cannot get out of this house without telling us.  And second, whenever you make a promise to me or Agent May, it's really important that you keep it. Agent May and I will live by the same rules too." 

"That's it?" asked Mary skeptically. 

"Yeah, think you can stick to them?" 

The kid shrugged again, "Fine." 

"Great. Thank you." He smiled approvingly, "Now maybe I can help you put things in your closet? I know it's too high for you..." 

The kid made a very unimpressed face at his suggestion, moved the chair behind the desk, climbed up with great agility and reached for the top shelf. She took a moment, clearly checking the expression on his face. Having found no disapproval from the adult, she jumped down with a smug smile.  

 _Show-off,_ he thought, but kept his face blank, not willing to encourage the deed, "...All right then. Just be careful when you do that." 

"Once I climbed up the water pipe and sneaked a jar of worms into Mrs. Lynn's room. She's the latest foster mom. " the kid bragged, eyeing him boldly, waiting for his reaction. 

Luckily he had been practicing unreadable expression for decades; he was able to proceed in a fairly neutral way, "Do you know what 'even monkeys fall out of trees' means?" 

The kid shook her head, albeit curious. 

"It means that you should always be very careful, no matter how many times you've done it." _Because the bad thing happened at the most unexpected time,_ he added to himself bitterly.

He thought back to that life- changing incident, when his best friend went in and came out as a different person. It was supposed to be an innocent routine mission, but everything had gone wrong. After that, all of their after-work drinks and light-hearted banter had gone; that part of himself was dead there, too. May's brave face, with that forced smile right before she went in, was haunting him again. At that moment, she was trying so hard to be strong for both of them. Her exact word had been "you're so gonna buy me a drink after this"; he never got the chance. 

"I am sorry." Soft voice drew him out of reminiscence, and Coulson realised his losing in his own thoughts might have scare the kid.

"No you did nothing wrong. I was thinking about a friend who got hurt and I couldn't keep her safe. I want you to be safe too." The words just came out. For some reason he felt it was okay to be candid. His mind was still lingering in the overwhelming nostalgia -- a courtesy of aging, he sighed. 

"I will be careful." Coulson thought he heard the compassion in the young voice, like she really understood. He must be imagining things. 

"Thank you." he cleared his voice, "Shake on it?"

The girl looked more perked up at the offer of an adult handshake. Solemnly, she put her tiny hand in his and blushed when his fingers wrapped around hers.

"When you finish here, would you please come to the kitchen to help us decide what to have for dinner?" he offered.

The girl nodded, with the most genuine smile he had seen so far. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave your thoughts if you enjoy the story.


End file.
